Gifts and Gear from Upslope Brewing Co.

We’ve got a little something for everyone at the brewery this holiday season! From the trail to your home bar, we’ve got gear to outfit you or your favorite craft beer enthusiast this winter. We’ve also expanded our inventory this year, so we have plenty of new gifts – check out some of our favorites below and in our online store!

For the Trail…

Upslope’s New Stainless Steel Water Bottles by Boulder-based EcoVessel

We have Fleece-lined, Merino Wool and Pom Beanies for all your adventures

Hit the slopes in style with our beer-inspired neck gaiters

For your Home Bar…

Check out our new Upslope Craft Lager-inspired lager glasses

Our year-round, core beer styles in a 4-pack of can glassses

For the Crafty Lady…

Check out our new tanks tops!

Hand made beer can bracelets

For Everyday…

New T-Shirt colors and designs

The Classic Upslope Hoodie

Fan Favorite Upslope Hats!

Black Friday and Cyber Monday Specials!

Keep an eye out on our online store and social media sites for holiday specials and sales for Cyber Monday!

A New Take on Coffee Beer

The next volume of our Upslope Tap Room Series is a different take on a classic craft beer style, as well as a tribute to a relationship that’s been brewing since we were first established. The Yirgacheffe Coffee Dubbel is a departure from a typical coffee beer, most of which are dark stouts or similar styles commonly known for roasted character. While our Coffee Dubbel does put the characteristics of the Dragonfly Coffee Roasters’ beans front and center, it is focused on the uncommon and truly exquisite aspects of this beans. Let’s get into it.

This Belgian is a departure from a typical coffee beer. For example, our Ozo Coffee Brown Ale at the Flatiron Park location showcases the more common aspects of the style beer with a sweet and roasty iced coffee flavor. This Tap Room Series beer is a collaboration with our original coffee roaster neighbor, Dragonfly Coffee Roasters on Lee Hill in North Boulder.

The Coffee Beans

While usually coffee beers focus on the roasted and earthy flavors of the beans, these Ethiopian Yirgacheffe beans just have so much more to offer. We had to take a new approach. Yirgacheffe beans are known for their complex, fruit forward flavors. Processed at the well-known Idido Cooperative, the Yirgachefffe region of Ethiopia is famous for producing uniquely floral and fruity varieties of Arabica coffee strains. This particular bean features a distinctly musky and floral blueberry flavor, subtle citrus-like acidity, and a dry, cacao flavored finish. The earthiness and roasted flavors are still there, but there’s so much more to appreciate with these beans.

The Coffee Beer

Our newest Tap Room Series entry is a collaboration with our Lee Hill neighbors, the Dragonfly Coffee Roasters, to produce a uniquely Upslope coffee beer. We started by choosing these incredibly characterful beans as a base for innovation. The style we landed on to best set off the multitude of aspects of these Yirgacheffe beans is a rich Belgian Dubbel.

The sweet, bubblegum flavors resulting from the Belgian yeast used mesh synergistically with the blueberry flavors of the beans to produce a distinct, but not overwhelming, fruity flavor not typical of either style. The flavors include hints of blueberries, plums, and cotton candy, while the earthiness of the beans bring it back down to a worldly level. The dry, cacao finish mingles with the big, Belgian Dubbel‘s body to produce a deep and satisfying conclusion to the experience.

This beer is sure to challenge any preconceived notions you have about what a typical coffee beer is like.

Come Celebrate 8 Years of Beer

Upslope Brewing Company is poised for our 8th Anniversary Party, celebrating 8 years of sharing our passion for great beer with friends, family, enthusiasts and the community surrounding craft beer. We’ll be going all out for our 8th Anniversary Party, as is expected, and we’ll have over 50 of our beers on tap to share with our fans, along with a variety of food trucks and live music.

This Saturday, November 5th!

The party will be this coming Saturday, November 5th, at our Flatiron Park location, from 2:00-8:00pm. Admission is free and beer tickets will be for sale on premise. We’ll also be hosting a weekend kickoff party at our Lee Hill location on Friday the 4th from 5:00-9:00pm with a selection a rare beers to share.

“Another year down and another reason to celebrate our awesome fans who have helped us get this far” said Matt Cutter, Upslope Brewing Co.’s founder. “We look forward to this time of year- when we can raise a toast to our team, as well as the loyal community of craft beer drinkers, while also getting excited about new beers and innovation for the coming year.”

Needless to say, we’re ready to party on the heels of our recent Great American Beer Festival medal last month for our classic Upslope Brown Ale.

Over 50 Beers on Tap Throughout the Day

We’ll have over 50 beers on tap throughout the day, including everything from limited released, cellar aged beers, collaboration brews, specialty small batch beers, and the return of our Citra Pale Ale. We’ll also have a special 8th Anniversary beer, an Imperial Saison aged in Pinot Noir barrels.

Come out and celebrate our 8th Anniversary and the culture of craft beer with Upslope Brewing Co. on Saturday November 5th. We wouldn’t be anywhere without the incredible craft beer community that surrounds us, and breaking out some amazing beer is the best way we could think of to thank all of you!

Check out the Facebook event for more details. Our Flatiron Park Tap Room is located at 1898 S. Flatiron Ct in Boulder, CO. This is a 21 years of age plus event, though kids are welcome with their parent or legal guardian.

The Full Beer List

For anyone that’s curious enough to look, here’s a full list of the beers we’ll be tapping at our 8th Anniversary Party:

GABF 2016 Schedule of Events

It’s that time of the year again, the 2016 Great American Beer Festival is only days away! We have a ton of events going on to celebrate the most wonderful week of the year, both in Denver and at our breweries in Boulder, so be sure to come party with us!

Here’s the run down:scroll to the bottom for images of both schedules that you can download for quick reference

If that wasn’t enough for you, we also have events going on every day in our tap rooms! We’ll have brewery tours (Thursday-Saturday at 4 pm at our Flatiron Park tap room), special GABF tappings, food trucks, live music, and limited release cans on sale from our Brewers’ Cellar!

Saturday 10/8

Get psyched for GABF week – we definitely are! This is the biggest week in Colorado craft beer, so come join us at our Tap Rooms or in Denver to commemorate another great year in the world of craft beer!

Join us for another Upslope Backcountry Tap Room!

The Upslope team is on its way to the trailhead once again to host a pop-up tap room in the backcountry, because good beer in the great outdoors just tastes better. Vance’s Cabin is located in the Red Cliff area Leadville, CO just up the Ski Cooper trail. We’ll have more details in regards to directions available shortly, so stay tuned on our Facebook event page.

Our Exclusive Release of the Fresh Hop IPA

As part of our Backcountry Tap Room festivities, we’re excited to announce the release of our limited edition Fresh Hop IPA, perfect for sippin’ while you take in the fall views. This IPA is the newest member of our exclusive Tap Room Series and will be available to the public for the first time at our Backcountry Tap Room, so get excited for a release party at just under 11,000 ft!

This IPA was brewed in the spirit of the event with a recipe that includes 400 pounds of fresh Cascade and Nugget hops grown right here in Colorado. The cone hops went straight from the farm to our brewhouse and were in the boil mere hours later. It doesn’t get much fresher than that!

Join the Party at the 2016 Backcountry Tap Room

Vance’s Cabin is accessible by way of a 3.1 mile hike up the Ski Cooper trail. This is a family friendly event, but a valid ID will be required to partake in enjoying the free beer. All attendees who bring a valid ID will get a complementary 19.2 oz can of our limited edition Fresh Hop IPA as well as up to two more 12 oz cans of any of our year round styles, because free beer tastes better if you worked a little for it. Get ready to enjoy some good beer that pairs perfectly with the great views of a fall day on the front range at 10,980 ft!

Photo courtesy of Lauren Bond

Not only that, we’ll have games and grills going, so bring up some more of your favorite games to add to the party and some grub to cook up. Feel free to bring along your four-legged friends as well, but please keep them on leash.

Lee Hill Series Vol. 9 Release Party

Upslope Brewing Co. is proud to share the 9th volume of our Lee Hill Series of beers with the world, our Barrel Aged Doppelbock! Of course, we’ll be releasing it right with a party at our original Lee Hill location in North Boulder on Thursday, September 8th from 5-9 pm! 19.2 ounce “bomber” cans will be available for $10 with the price increasing to $13 the next day, so get ’em while they’re fresh!

Inspired by the roots of the style, our Barrel Aged Doppelbock is a classic example of a traditional European beer with an American twist. We honored the style’s tradition by using only premium German malts and Bock yeast, but then we aged the lager for 5 months in 3 different barrel types and blended it back together. The result is a deep and complex lager that we cannot wait to share with you!

A Little History on Bock Beers

Bock beers originated in German monasteries during medieval times. Bocks were brewed so that they would have a stronger beer for sustenance during times of fasting. Beyond that, the history of the style is relatively unknown, although it is widely speculated that the name was derived from shortening the name of Einbeck in Germany into simply bock.

“Doppel” being added to it simply takes the same meaning as a double. The doppelbock accentuates everything about the style to a new level to best showcase what makes it unique. The style also may have been the beginning of the phrase “liquid bread,” as it was breads for sustenance and is known for a crisp, toasty and bready malt character.

Our Upslope Barrel Aged Doppelbock

Our new Lee Hill Series beer showcases the style’s history with a hearty dose of American ingenuity. The Barrel Aged Doppelbock features a rich toasted bread flavor and a reserved malty sweetness to not overpower the delicate balance.

The barrels used were half Maryland Style Rye Whiskey, with the remainder almost evenly split between Anejo Tequila and American Whiskey barrels, slightly favoring the tequila. The dark malts used in this brew give it a rich, copper color. The flavor accents imparted by the barrel aging and extended lagering process smooth out the flavor of this 9.0% abv lager.

The resulting beer is a cellar worthy classic with notes of vanilla, agave, and spiced pecans with a big malty body featuring dark fruit, raisin, and nutty flavors. Join us at the Lee Hill Upslope in North Boulder on Thursday, September 8th from 5-9 pm where we’ll have it on tap as well as in cans to go. See you then!

Upslope and REEL ROCK have teamed up for another year on a collaboration brew to blend our passion for vertical adventure and great beer into an 11th anniversary collaboration brew – an Experimental Hop IPA!

For 11 years running, the REEL ROCK Film Tour has showcased the best rock climbing films in the world, and 2016 is no different. We’re excited to announce that for the second time, REEL ROCK is collaborating with Upslope to bring out a limited release beer to commemorate the beginning of their world tour. REEL ROCK will be making over 450 stops around the world, and we’re honored to help them get the tour started off right with an awesome India Pale Ale collaboration brew.

Upslope Brewing and REEL ROCK’s Collaboration Beer

Upslope Experimental Hop IPA with Idaho #7 Hops

The Upslope and REEL ROCK Experimental Hop IPA will be available starting today with a release party kicking off at 5:00 pm at our Flatiron Park tap room! The brand new, limited release IPA will be available on draft in both Upslope tap rooms as well as in adventure-ready 19.2-ounce cans. This IPA is a showcase for a brand new hop variety, simply known as Idaho Experimental Hop #7.

With more than 3 pounds of the hop in every barrel that we brewed, you’re sure to get a good idea of why these hops are so special. The light malt character of the beer allows the hops to show through with their pungent aroma and flavor notes such as peach, apricot, and a fresh leaf tea-like characteristic.

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with the REEL ROCK Film Tour once again,” says Henry Wood, Upslope’s Director of Sales and Marketing. “It’s exciting to produce a limited release beer that coincides with inspiring events within the outdoor community and with a project that pairs so perfectly Upslope’s brand ethos.”

The REEL ROCK 2016 Films

The 2016 REEL ROCK Film Tour will feature five new climbing films, all of which showcase some of the most talented and storied climbers in the world. Young Guns explores the adventures of two of the sport’s youngest and most exciting up-and-comers, Ashima Shiraishi and Kai Lightner. Bugs in the Boys follows two of the best crack climbers in the game, Will Stanhope and Matt Segal. The film Brette spotlights Brette Harrington and her climbing exploits around the world. Rad Dad stars Mike Libecki as he strives to accomplish a series of first ascents. Finally, Dodo’s Delight trails Sean Villanueva O’Driscoll, Ben Ditto, and Nico and Oliver Favresse as they adventure across the Arctic Circle and strike at previously unclimbed walls.

The Upslope and REEL ROCK Release Party 2016

Of course Upslope will be throwing a party to get the REEL ROCK Tour started right at our Flatiron Park tap room from 5:00 pm- 9:00 pm today, August the 23rd, 2016. The first 25 attendees after 5:00 pm will score a pint for FREE – just find the REEL ROCK rep under the Upslope teardrop flag and say the word “Everest” to the REEL ROCK rep and enjoy an Experimental Hop IPA on us!

We teamed up with Railroad Earth and Lyft for a sweet contest to win tickets to Railroad Earth’s upcoming shows – Red Rocks on Sept. 16th and Boulder Theater on Sept. 17th!

4 lucky winners will get a pair of 2-day passes + free Lyft rides to and from the shows! Enter ↡ for your chance to win (winners will be announced on Monday, September 12th).

Already have tickets to the show? Our friends at Lyft are offering $10 off 2 rides to help you get to and from Railroad Earth all weekend with code: RAILROADEARTH (https://www.lyft.com/invite/railroadearth)

IPA Day with Upslope in Boulder

Today, August 4th, 2016, is officially IPA Day in the national craft beer world. It’s only fitting that the most popular style of craft beer in the States receives such an honor, so we wanted to put on a little party to celebrate the occasion. We’ll be serving up India Pale Ale flights all day so come thirsty hop heads! Don’t forget the best part, we still have a few kegs of our fantastic Mosaic IPA left on draft!

Upslope IPA Day Flights

The Mosaic IPA might be the star of the flight, but there aren’t any slouches in this lineup. Start off with a 4oz. pour of our original Upslope IPA. It’s a departure from the more common hop bomb IPAs out there today due to its rich copper color and deep, malty backbone. Make no mistake though, our IPA still offers the complex and refreshing hop bitterness that IPA enthusiasts crave.

Next up is our Thai Style White IPA, a light and crisp non-traditional IPA that’s become a summer staple at our brewery. This one isn’t as focused on the hop character as the rest of the lineup, but that’s what makes it so approachable and well loved. Alongside the summery citrus hops, we’ve added Thai basil, lemongrass, coriander and ginger. To cement its unique crispness, this IPA is also fermented with Belgian Wit yeast, which adds a distinctive clove flavor and makes it a little lighter on the palate than your typical American IPA. At 6.5% abv, it’s ready for any summer adventure or cookout and won’t weigh you down.

Third, we have our fourth Experimental IPA, aptly named Experimental IPA #4. It’s a refreshing and resinous low gravity, west coast style IPA. Clocking in at 5.3% abv, it is definitely sessionable. In contrast to some west coast IPAs favoring citrusy hops, the simcoe, amarillo, and lemondrop hops combine for an aggressively bitter and resinous hop character with just a hint of citrus. The experiment has been successful so far as this has been the most popular Experimental IPA in the tap room.

Then we have the current crowd favorite, our Mosaic IPA. As the name suggests, this India Pale Ale was hopped exclusively with Mosaic hops, and the result is incredible. A crisp bitterness combines with a zesty grapefruit and tropical taste to make an amazing IPA. It’s a real crowd pleaser at 7.5% abv, not too strong, but not too small either. Unfortunately, we’ve already sold our stock of cans of this member of the Tap Room Series, but we’ve got a few kegs left to tap and growler fills are available until we run out!

Lastly, we’ll treat you to our original Imperial IPA. At 10% abv and 90 IBUS, you might think you already know what this beer is about, it might surprise you though. The huge bitterness is well balanced with a bold malt bill that gives it a brilliant golden color. Its complexity may make it the most balanced beer in the lineup, and a fitting way to finish off the flight.

The #IPADay Festivities Continue!

But the celebration doesn’t end with the flights! We’ll also be giving away fresh cans of our IPA in some sweet Upslope koozies to the first 100 people who tag us in a shared photo of the celebration on social media and use the #UpslopeIPADay tag! Show your post to any bartender to claim your prize!

Summer’s here – time to explore the great outdoors and celebrate your adventures! To foster your summertime activities, and in celebration of the U.S. National Park Service centennial year, Upslope is giving away 100 prizes, including annual National Parks passes, in a Golden Ticket-style scavenger hunt – the Upslope Gold Rush Summer Contest.

Here’s all the info you need to know for our the FREE Upslope Get Down music festival! Check out our FAQ, dust off your dancing shoes and get ready to have a great time! #upslopegetdown

Families are welcome at the Upslope Get Down (We’ll even have a free Kid’s Zone; 1-5 pm with a rock wall, face painting & more)! As this is an event at a brewery, however, all patrons 21 and under must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

IDs will be checked at the Front Gate upon entry. No ID, no entry – no exceptions.

Event is rain or shine. There will be no refunds issued for unused beer tickets.

WHEN & WHERE is the event? Saturday, May 21st from 1:00 pm to 10:00 pm at our Flatiron Park brewery. Flatiron Park is located at 1898 S Flatiron Ct, Boulder, CO 80301. The fest is taking place in the back parking lot, brewery and tap room. Parking will be available in neighboring lots and on the street. Car pooling, biking and Uber/Lyft is encouraged.

How much does it cost? The Upslope Get Down is a FREE event!

Does the event benefit a nonprofit?

Yes! Upslope is honored to partner with Colorado-based nonprofit organization, UpaDowna, a nonprofit providing access to outdoor adventures for all, as this year’s event beneficiary with a portion of profits from all beer ticket & VIP sales being donated to their cause!

Will your tap rooms be open as usual that day? Our Flatiron Park tap room will be open at the usual time of 11:00 am. We will only be serving our original core four styles – no tasters. At 1:00 pm, when festival doors open, all guests in the tap room will be directed to enter at the festival’s Front Gate to get their event wristband. Our Lee Hill tap room will open at the usual time of 2:00 pm, but will be closing early at 6:00 pm. Join us at the fest!

Where will I park? We will have signage directing guests to a few neighboring lots to accommodate parking. There is also street parking around. We are expecting lots of guests, so carpooling and riding bikes is highly encouraged! Car pooling, biking and Uber/Lyft is encouraged.

Are dogs allowed? Due to the nature and size of the event, dogs are not permitted. We love ‘em too, but please do not bring your four-legged friends or we will not be able to allow you to enter the festival. Service dogs will be permitted with proper paperwork only.

How will I buy beer? There will be several beer stations throughout the event. These stations will accept BEER TICKETS ONLY. We will have multiple beer ticket stations at the fest where you can purchase these Beer Tickets by cash or credit card. 1 ticket = $5. All beers = 1 ticket.

Will there be seating, or can I bring my camping chair? Yes. There will be a chill zone under the KEEN Footwear tent provided by our friends at Colorado Ski Furniture + limited seating under a few shade tents, but feel free to bring your own camping chair with you.

Will there be ATMs? Yes. Beer Ticket stations will also accept credit cards.

Is the fest ADA accessible? Yes. The Upslope Get Down is an ADA accessible event space for both general admission and VIP patrons.

What steps are you taking to make this a green event? All beer cups are 100% compostable thanks to Eco-Products. All food truck vendors are also required to use all compostable or recyclable materials. Eco-cycle will be on site with waste receptacles for compost, recycling, and trash. With our efforts, we are hoping to generate as little trash as possible.

What’s provided?

Potable water

Portable toilets

Compost, Recycling & Trash stations: a chance for everyone to do their part!

Food trucks

Vendors

Limited shade & seating (Camping chairs are permitted!)

First Aid

an ATM

Security services

Great music to help you #getdown!

What’s not allowed?

No LARGE BAGS/BACKPACKS

No DOGS (Pets) – service dogs MUST have paperwork!

No GLASS

No COOLERS

No OUTSIDE ALCOHOL

No OUTSIDE FOOD AND DRINK

No ILLEGAL DRUGS

No FIREWORKS

No UNLICENSED VENDING of any kind

No WEAPONS

For more questions, please call the tap room at (303) 396-1898. See Saturday, May 21st!

American Craft Beer Week is in Full Swing at Upslope!

American Craft Beer Week is a national celebration of all things craft beer, and Upslope is proud to participate with events all week at our taprooms in Boulder, Colorado. American Craft Beer Week 2016 will be taking place this week, between May 16th and 22nd, across the U.S. We’re hosting parties and new tappings every single day! We’re going all out to cap off the week with our 3rd annual Upslope Get Down, a free music festival at our Flatiron Park location, to celebrate community, music and beer! #ACBW2016 #MakeSmallBeerBig

Here’s the rundown of what we have planned for American Craft Beer Week 2016:

↠ Monday (5/16)- Get Wild with 2015 Wild Christmas Ale

We’ll be tapping limited quantity of our barrel soured and cellar aged 2015 Wild Christmas ale at both of our taprooms to kick the week off right. Get it while you can, this sour has a rabid following in our taproom and is sure to go fast.

Enjoy the beautiful weather in Boulder with this crisp and flavorful Kolsch that stands out from the crowd. Mosaic and lemondrop hops give it a distinct and citrus-filled, crisp hop character. Ambrosia honey and spices like coriander and sage impart a unique and refreshing flavor that you’re sure to love. Stop in to try it on tap and let us know what you think. We’ll also have cans available so that you can take a few home to share!

↠ Wednesday (5/18)- Thai Style White IPA Summer Seasonal Release

Another taproom favorite is back to pair perfectly with all of your adventures this summer! Our summer Limited Release Thai Style White IPA breaks the mold of what you might expect from an IPA. Premium malt and wheat fermented with traditional Belgian wit yeast provide the foundation of this ale, while Cascade, Columbus, and Galaxy hop flavors mix with a blend of 7 different Thai spices give it a refreshing taste like nothing else. We’ll be pouring pints in both taprooms and cans will be available to take with you.

↠ Thursday (5/19)- Throwback Thursday! Vintage Beers from our Cellar will be Available

Come in and get some of the most unique beers we’ve ever brewed as we make a limited quantity of our past Lee Hill Series and other releases available once again. Check out Ferus Fluxus, our sour Belgian Pale Ale collaboration with the Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project. We’ll have several volumes of our Lee Hill series greats like our Imperial Milk Stout, Wild Christmas, and our new Dry Hopped Wild Ale available in the taproom as well as cans to take with you. Get them while you can!

↠ Friday(5/20)- Firkin Friday!

Each location will have a completely unique firkin showcasing a new spin on one of our classic beers. At Flatiron Park, we’re having a new take on a blast from the past favorite. Jalapeño Lager is back, but this time it has been aged in a firkin rather than individual cans. The jalapeño perfectly complements the spice of the Czech Saaz hops in our crisp and refreshing Craft Lager. At our Lee Hill taproom, we’ve got an all new treat in store. To complement the re-release of our Thai IPA, we’ll have a firkin of toasted coconut and habanero pepper Thai IPA to enjoy.

↠ Saturday (5/21)- The 3rd Annual Upslope Get Down!

Join us for the 2016 Upslope Get Down, a free music festival celebrating local music, community and beer. We’ll have 13 bands on 3 stages, food trucks, games, live art, displays, and Upslope’s core beers on draft. Beer tickets will be available for $5 each and a portion of the proceeds will benefit UpaDowna, our partner organization for the event who is dedicated to providing access to outdoor adventures for all! Unleash your adventure.

↠ Sunday (5/22)- Work Off the Hangover with BeerMosas and Red Beer

Cool down after the big week with some refreshing brunch beers. We’ll be pouring beermosas, made with our award winning Belgian Style Pale Ale and orange juice, along with red beer made from our Craft Lager and tomato juice. What a way to nurse yourself back into shape after a huge American Craft Beer Week 2016!

We’re looking forward to celebrating these events Upslope-style with all of you, especially the week’s finale, the Upslope Get Down – come get down for a good time to help a great cause!

Since 1998, the annual winter Grand Traverse has been bringing together elite, local and international backcountry ski athletes for the ultimate challenge. As a test of endurance and mental toughness, racers climb more than 7,800 vertical feet and navigate the backcountry in teams of two and are required to carry mandatory gear for safety. For the second year in a row Upslope was proud to be the craft beer sponsor providing much needed après adventure beers for the athletes as they crossed the finish line.

Typically, the Grand Traverse takes place over the Elk Mountains between Crested Butte and Aspen, CO. This year, for the 4th time in its history, dangerous weather conditions and avalanche danger caused the race organizers to call an audible and deem it the “Grand Reverse”, where teams turn around midway through and end the race where they began in Crested Butte. Upslope Co-Owner and Director of Sales and Marketing, Henry Wood, participated in this year’s Grand Reverse alongside Upslope sponsored athlete and friend, Fritz Moriarty. On the change in course from traverse to reverse, Henry notes, “I’m hearing conflicting reports as to the exact course stats but the most consistent numbers are 35 miles and 7,500 feet of climbing. 225 teams started the race and 168 completed the course.” That’s no easy feat. And while team Upslope was unable to complete the course last year in 2015 when Fritz’s ski binding disintegrated at mile 15, we’re proud to say they came back strong and completed the course successfully this time around.

Henry and Fritz with their finishing medals!

“This has been a goal of mine since I first heard about the race 15 years ago,” Henry recalls, “It took a long time to convince one of my backcountry ski partners to spend the majority of their ski season training for an endurance race- much less two seasons! Fortunately, Fritz has an appetite for this sort of thing. Not completing the race in 2015 was devastating but we couldn’t leave it unfinished. While it feels great to have this monkey off our back, we still never made it to Aspen. We’ll be back to complete the real Traverse. It’s pretty amazing how fun suffering can be!” And of course, it helps to know there is beer at the end of the race.

Getting the celebration beer to reverse the finish line was also a challenge in the weather conditions. When the race director Andrew Arell made the last minute announcement that athletes would be racing to Crested Butte instead of Aspen, Upslope mountain sales rep Cole Karchner broke down equipment in Aspen, rallied and loaded up the beer and made the 4+ hour trek to Crested Butte which was quite the adventure in itself!

Upslope reps ready to hand out cans at the finish line!

But the adventure is what this race is all about and Upslope is so proud to be a part of it. “This is the second year we’ve been the beer sponsor for the GORE-TEX Grand Traverse,” Henry notes, “They are great partners to work with. This race is a major ‘bucket list’ event for mountain athletes all over the world. The brand alignment and Grand Traverse participant demographic is spot on for Upslope.”

Grand Traverse winners standing on the Upslope can podium.

At Upslope, when we say #apreseverything, we mean anything- blizzards and epic ski races included! Congrats to the winners of this year’s Grand Reverse. We’ll be seeing you all again next year!

Photo Credit // Grand Traverse

About the Grand Traverse // The Grand Traverse is a series of legendary backcountry races over the Elk Mountains between the towns of Crested Butte and Aspen, CO. The event benefits Crested Butte Nordic and other non-profits.

The Winter Grand Traverse is a backcountry ski race that starts at midnight from Crested Butte. In this extreme endurance event, racers climb more than 7,800 vertical feet and navigate in a self-supported backcountry race that tests them physically and mentally. To maintain safety in the backcountry, racers compete in teams of two and are required to carry mandatory gear. Held annually since 1998, it’s earned a reputation as a true test of toughness for elite local, national and international athletes.

The Summer Grand Traverse which started in 2014 features a Mountain Bike and Running Race held over two days.

On March 8th, we’ll be releasing a small batch Scottish Style Ale aged in the barrels that held Spirit Hound’s first batches of “flood-proof” Colorado whisky. The first kegs of this limited-release beer will be tapped at 5:00 p.m. at both of our tap rooms. The collaboration started long before the Scottish Style Ale began aging and is a testament to the brotherly-like community of the Colorado craft beer and liquor scene.

This past August, Spirit Hound Distillers released, and quickly sold out of, the first bottles of its long-awaited Straight Malt Whisky. Those bottles came from five 53-gallon oak barrels that were filled prior to the historic September 2013 floods that did severe damage to Lyons, Boulder County and other parts of Colorado.

The distiller’s wash that filled those barrels was brewed in August of 2013 by head Spirit Hound distiller Craig Englehorn at our Lee Hill brewery. We were able to offer our equipment while Spirit Hound was awaiting the arrival of their own brewhouse.

“I’ve known Upslope founder Matt Cutter for years,” recalls Wayne Anderson, the distillery’s Head of Sales. “So I asked him if we could brew on the Upslope system while we waited on our own. He and his team were eager to help and they let us come in on a series of Saturdays to brew. It was extremely gracious of them.”

Englehorn brewed five batches of distillers wash at Upslope. He trucked the wash to Spirit Hound where it was fermented, distilled and then placed in oak barrels for aging to become the company’s first Straight Malt Whisky. Two weeks later on September 12, 2013, the historic flood hit Lyons and shut down the distillery for six months.

In 2015, we filled those now-empty barrels with a special limited-run Upslope beer. “It’s a Scottish-style ale of around 8% ABV,” Englehorn says, “Made with a little peated malt. It’s a lot like our wash and it was aged in barrels #5 and #6.”

“When presented with the opportunity to decide what to put in the barrels we had been given from Spirit Hound, I thought it was only right to design the beer after the original whiskey wash”, states Charlie, Lead Brewer at Upslope’s Lee Hill Tap Room. “I worked with the Spirit Hound team to craft a beer that is both deep and complicated and highlights some of the unique flavors of the whiskey.”

“We brewed the beer on the same system that we used to brew our whisky,” Englehorn notes. “So we’re completing a nice little circle with this beer and it’s pretty special. We would not have had any flood-proof whisky without Upslope’s very generous help.”

We’re super excited about this partnership and we hope you are able to attend our special tapping and sip some while you can!

For more events, check out the full Scottish Style Ale tapping lineup below & find a place near you:

Wednesday, March 9, 2016 — Backcountry Pizza & Tap House (5:30 pm)

Thursday, March 10, 2016 — Lyons Fork (5:30 pm)

Friday, March 11, 2016 — Falling Rock Tap House (5:30 pm)

About Spirit Hound Distillers
Founded in 2012 by friends, Lyons residents and Boulder County businessmen Craig Engelhorn, Wayne Anderson, Matt Rooney, Neil Sullivan and Rick England, the group set out to put Lyons on the US distilling map with a range of small-batch spirits topped by a signature gin and a straight malt whisky. The Spirit Hound tasting room is a popular destination for lovers of distilled spirits and cocktails. Learn more at www.spirithounds.com.

Here at Upslope, we love collaborating with friends from other breweries. So when we had the chance to brew up something tasty with the brew crew from New Belgium for Collaboration Fest, we invited them up to our experimental Lee Hill brewery and got down to business.

We decided to brew a tropical stout: a version of a foreign extra stout that is a bit sweeter without much bitterness. Tropical stouts are exceptionally smooth and often times have rum-like characteristics. Basically, they are delicious. And for this one, the brewers decided to compliment those flavors by adding in plantains.

Slicing up some plantains for the brew!

The brew crews got down and dirty with the plantains, first peeling them and later roasting a whole bunch in the oven with a rum-sugar glaze.

So how did the New Belgium and Upslope teams decide on what to brew?

Rum glazed plantains roasting away.

Upslope Head Brewer Sam Scruby says, “Ross Koenigs (Brewmaster at New Belgium) thought a coffee beer might be a good starting point and we looked at different regional varieties of coffee (Turkish Coffee, Irish Coffee, Cuban Coffee). While on a trip in Chicago, Charlie Condon (Upslope’s Head of Barrel Aging and Special Projects) was introduced to Cuban coffee at a local Cuban restaurant and also had the opportunity to pair it with a fried plantain. After his experience, brewing a Cuban stout with plantains was decided on. Ross had the great idea to glaze the plantains with rum for added complexity and a Caribbean touch.”

The brewers doing a little post-brew can crushing.

When it comes to collaborating with other brewers, Sam jokingly offers a few general rules: “Show up late, drink lots of beer, leave early.” But our friends at New Belgium are a work hard, play hard kind of crew. “The New Belgium team only followed rule #2. It was actually one of the best collaboration days I’ve experienced.” And it’s a good thing they all worked so hard, because this brew is set to be a pretty tasty one.

Since our brewers had so much fun making this beer, we decided to prolong the good times and throw a release party for it! Please join us in kicking off Colorado Craft Beer Week at our Flatiron Park tap room on Saturday, March 19th from 12-5pm. Hope to see you there!

Every year, the Ouray Ice Park hosts a huge fundraiser to benefit the park and get climbers of every level together from all over the world. It’s no secret the Upslope staffers enjoy getting after it in the great outdoors – that’s why Upslope is the official beer sponsor of the Ouray Ice Park and loves supporting this fest! We sent a few staffers out to Ouray to climb ice, have fun, and of course, share some delicious Upslope suds.

“I always love going down to Ouray!” says tap room staffer, Anthony. “The town and its people are great, not to mention the added benefit of having a world class ice park walking distance from town.”

The Upslope crew started their days early in the canyon and climbed until the afternoon. In the evenings, they got to pour beer for some awesome folks while listening to some of the best female alpinists share their experiences.

“I really enjoyed meeting people from around the world and having the opportunity to share an awesome beer with them,” Anthony continues, “It was awesome seeing some of the world’s best ice climbers and new, aspiring climbers from around the world in one place climbing hard and drinking Upslope.”

About Ouray Ice Park //Each year a committed group of volunteers and staff unite to transform the beautiful Uncompahgre Gorge into an ice climbing mecca. Beginning in November, Ice Farmers spray water down the canyon walls of the Uncompahgre Gorge resulting in the creation of awe-inspiring walls of ice. With the utilization of overflow water from the City of Ouray and more than 150 sprinklers, the Ice Farmers diligently work to bring both adventure and tranquility to those seeking respite from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Within a one mile span of the Uncompahgre Gorge the Ouray Ice Park contains over 200 manmade ice and mixed climbs, 14 distinct climbing areas, and three miles of vertical terrain. Since its inception more than two decades ago, the Ouray Ice Park has become a premier destination for climbers, travelers and outdoor enthusiasts from around the world.

Here at Upslope, we’ve always enjoyed collaborating with our neighbors be it a community coffee shop or a local winery. That’s why when the idea came up to team up with Boulder-based farm-to-table restaurant, Blackbelly Market, and host a benefit for the Boulder chapter of nonprofit group, There With Care, we were super excited!

There With Care (TWC) has always been near and dear to our hearts at Upslope. They are on a mission to provide a wide range of thoughtful and fundamental services to children and families during the critical phase of a medical crisis. Be it putting together and dropping off meals for families unable to leave the hospital, or making sure their driveway is shoveled when the family is able to come home, TWC takes extra care of the every day tasks and even some of the little extras that a family in crisis isn’t always able to do.

Upslope staffers have had the opportunity to volunteer on site with TWC, and we’ve been able to aid in fundraisers and other events benefiting this amazing organization. Now, for the first time, we’ll be hosting a benefit for TWC at our very own Flatiron Park tap room! And what better way to do it than with good eats from our friends just around the corner at Blackbelly?

We invite you to join us on Sunday, February 28th from 4:30-6:30at our Flatiron Park tap room for smoked pork sliders paired with beers from yours truly, music from the Hop Pickers, and a raffle & silent auction! This one-of-a-kind community event is sure to be a ton of fun, so we hope to see you there.

About There With Care //There With Care’s mission is to provide a wide range of thoughtful and fundamental services to children and families during the critical phase of a medical crisis. We serve families referred by medical agencies, by building a network of services and people who ease the burden of life’s day-to-day obligations with compassion and care.

About Blackbelly // Founded by renowned Chef Hosea Rosenberg, it’s the mission of Blackbelly to not only know where the food comes from, but to serve our customers the very best product we can find. We began by raising our own livestock – pigs and lamb – to use in our kitchen. Next came the greenhouse where we grow our own supply of organic vegetables. If we can’t produce it ourselves, we supplement with the best local products. We’ve cultivated relationships with regional artisans and suppliers to secure the best products we can possibly find.

When our friends at Dr. Squatch Soap Co. had the idea of teaming up for a soap and beer pairing to find the ultimate shower beer experience, we knew they were on to something. Offering an elevated experience compared to those college beer-in-the-shower days where you drank whatever was left from the previous evening’s party, we believe our beer and soap pairings will bring your shower game to a whole new level.

It’s a tough job, but someone had to do it. Here’s what the Dr. Squatch team had to say in their blog about the experience and the pairings we came up with together:

The Dr. Squatch team had the privilege to visit another kick-ass Colorado brewery to pair one of our soap scents with a truly unique and tasty shower beer. This time we voyaged down to Upslope Brewing Co. in Boulder.

Let the pairing begin!

We were greeted by (marketing manager) Katie, our pairing guide for the evening, and immediately treated to a plethora of beer for our sipping pleasure.

Marketing Manager Katie testing out some samples.

The founders of Upslope have always had a deep desire to experience the outdoors and enable their customers to do the same without having to leave behind the beer. They are extremely loyal to the ‘beer can’ (it’s all they use) which they are happy to inform you is better for the environment and your beer. Their love for our Colorado playground of nature insinuates a desire to preserve it so they are constantly striving to leave less of a footprint throughout the brewing process.

From Upslope’s ‘Our Story‘, “Protecting our environment is key to Colorado. That’s why we craft our beer with conscience. From recapturing the water we use in the brewing process, to installing efficient, three-phase electricity, to delivering our lightweight cans in a natural gas-powered van, we are finding ways to reduce the impact of our brewery on the planet.”

Upslope Brewer Nate Luebbe // Photo cred: @nateluebbe

With no further adieu here is our UpslopeShower Beer Pairing

Beer:Imperial India Pale Ale: Larger then your average beer in both size and taste the Imperial will take you on a journey with every sip. The initial taste is woodsy and vibrant, and from there it takes you on a journey through floral and citrus notes. The finish leads you right back to the Pine flavor, furthering your excitement to explore the next 18.2* ounces of this beer. We were in love at first sip.

*Warning: Drink two of these suckers and you may end up with your shirt off dancing on the table, it comes in a 19.2 ounce can.

From the description on Upslope’s website, “Each barrel is brewed using six pounds of a unique blend of hops to impart subtle flavors of pineapple and melon to the central hop notes of citrus and pine.”

Soap:Pine Tar: Any of our hard core Pine Tarites will tell you there is no alternative. Loved for it’s vigor in exfoliation, woodsy scent and tough, black appearance it’s actually the subtlety of sweet orange oils mixed with that Pine that keeps guys coming back.

It was too perfect a fit not to make the connection between these two bold, larger then life, unapologetic favorites.

The camaraderie and energy of the employees at Upslope was inspiring. No matter who you talk to there it’s quickly evident they are passionate about the company they work for and the beer they are putting out there. Big thanks to the Upslope team for letting us hang, we had an absolute blast!

Our friends at The Denver Post interviewed Upslope’s head brewer, Sam Scruby about his perspective on the craft brewing industry in their latest installment of “Beer in Review 2015”. Here’s what they had to say:

Upslope head brewer Sam Scruby

As 2015 comes to a close, we’re once again asking leading figures on the Colorado beer scene to reflect on the past year and look ahead to next.

This next installment in our 5th annual Beer In Review features Upslope Brewing‘s head brewer Sam Scruby.

Upslope has been on a tear lately, producing limited-release interesting new beers to complement their five year-round beers, including an award-winning pumpkin beer, a recently released Christmas beer and a Thai-style white IPA.

Now, onto Sam’s picks:

Favorite beer of the year: I purchased more Modus Mandarina from Ska Brewing Co. than any other beer this year, I feel like this counts towards a favorite beer tally. I truly loved the deep and bright citrus notes followed by the assertive bitterness. I also was lucky enough to find a bottle of Dry Hopped Oak Theory from Casey Brewing and Blending and found it to be a truly superb flavor endeavor of pungent funk and juicy hops.

Colorado brewery of the year: Casey Brewing and Blending, so hot right now. Troy Casey is on fire and everyone knows it.

New Colorado brewery of the year: Call to Arms. They had, what appeared to be, an unrealistically high expectation for a new brewery and just went ahead and blew past all expectations. It was completely refreshing to walk into CTA and be greeted with a completely different aesthetic and take on brewing compared to so many newer breweries. I’m super excited to see what these guys have up their sleeves for 2016.

Colorado brewery to watch in 2016: The castle is built and equipment in place, and I am interested to see what Avery Brewing Co. has planned for 2016. With reports of truckloads of barrels arriving and a couple years of pent up production, I am expecting some big things from their new facility.

Most notable craft beer news or trend of 2015: Mergers and acquisitions. Firestone Walker, Lagunitas, Ballast Point — I would have never have thought those names would be included in this year’s round of big buy-outs.

Craft beer trend to watch for in 2016: Mergers and… nope, I won’t say it. How about fruit in everything? How many fruited IPAs will we see next year? What beer style have you never thought about including fruit in? Because it’s coming next year…

It’s that time of year again – bundle up in your winter gear and come celebrate 7 Years of Beer with us!

Our Founder, Matt Cutter, wanted to say a few words to express his gratitude:

“During the past seven years, we have been relentlessly pursuing the objective to brew the most refined and innovative lagers and ales that we could possibly produce, and responsibly package them in the ever portable, ever recyclable, outdoor adventure-friendly aluminum can. Before we roll up our sleeves to tackle the next seven, we pause to celebrate, and offer sincere gratitude to our friends and fans for supporting us the whole way.

I’ve heard it said that you can taste passion. I believe that I work with the most passionate people in the industry. Please join us for a taste on November 14th.”

7th Anniversary Party Info

Join us on Saturday, November 14th (2-8 pm) at our Flatiron Park brewery to raise a glass (or a few…) to many more years of doin’ what we love!

We’re taking over the parking lot and tossin’ up the garage doors to the brewery space to make room for the party. Get ready for beer bust-outs, yard games, live music and food trucks galore!

ABOUT THE 7th ANNIVERSARY ALE // At a hefty 9.6% ABV, this Belgian-style ale was kettle soured and brewed with fresh pressed watermelon and apple juice, viognier (Vee-Ohn-Yey) grape juice, and dragonfruit puree, as well as zest from grapefruit, lemon, and lime. With aromas of tropical fruit, this beer is tangy, juicy, and zippy with an immense amount of fruit complexity ending with a bright puckering finish. We present this beer as our 7th Anniversary Ale as it perfectly exemplifies our unique style and high brewing standards—and it’s really fun to celebrate with. This beer is extremely limited and won’t last long, so snag a glass while you can!

It’s that time of year again – the annual Great American Beer Festival is NEXT WEEK and we have a hoppy heap of events lined up for ya! Join us as we toast to our favorite week of the year:

September 21 – September 26

Come see us at our tap rooms for daily tours (noon & 4:00 pm) and special releases all week. We also have plenty of events goin’ down in Denver, so be sure to check out the Denver events list below, and come party with the Upslope crew!

Join us Thursday, September 10th at our Flatiron Park tap room for our Pumpkin Ale Release Party (5:00-9:00 pm), and be the first to try this year’s batch on tap. LuLu’s BBQ will be on site to feed your need for barbecue.

Cans hit shelves the following week, but you can snag your 4-pack of 16 oz cans ($15) from us at the Release Party. Come get your fill!

December 17, 1940 – August 31, 2015

In Honor of Bob Munson

Tomorrow’s Pumpkin Ale Release Party will be in Honor of Bob Munson of Munson Farms, where Upslope has gotten our baby bear pumpkins every year for our Fall Limited Release.

$1 from all Pumpkin Ale pints sold will be donated to The Robert E. Munson U of I Scholarship Fund.

Boulder, Colo. (Sept. 4, 2015) – Upslope Brewing Company, in cooperation with central Boulder’s S’PARK development, is proud to announce plans for an all-new 11,000 square foot brewpub at 34th St. and Valmont in Boulder, Colorado. Scheduled for completion in the fall of 2017, the new facility will be home to all of Upslope’s experimental brewing and barrel-aging, as well as a full-service restaurant with a mezzanine and patio.

“The innovation emerging from our Lee Hill brewery has never been more important than it is today, and has become essential to stay relevant in today’s quickly evolving craft beer industry. In an effort to expand the experimental brewing, piloting, barrel-aging and collaboration beers that are going on there today, we need to move the brewery to a larger location,” said Upslope Founder Matt Cutter. “We have fortunately been able to combine that expansion effort with being part of a one-of-a-kind project taking shape in central Boulder, just north of Boulder Junction. Having worked with Element Properties for many months on the design of this brewpub, we couldn’t be more excited to be a key component of the S’PARK project and Markt building.”

Upslope first opened its doors in November 2008 with just two beer styles at the current Lee Hill location. Over the past six years, the company has experienced unprecedented growth. In 2013, Upslope opened its second location in Flatiron Park, a 27,000 square foot brewery complete with a 2,300 square foot tap room. Today, Upslope offers five year round styles, sixLimited Release styles, the Lee Hill Series and the Tap Room Series.

The existing Lee Hill tap room and experimental brewing facility, located in North Boulder, will remain in operation until the completion of the new facility in the fall of 2017.

Upslope’s Flatiron Park location will continue as its main production brewery, producing its year round, canned offerings and its popular tap room will remain open.

Boulder, Colo. (Aug. 11, 2015) – Upslope Brewing Company announces the limited release of their REEL ROCK Session India Pale Ale in collaboration with the REEL ROCK Film Tour as a tribute to the tour’s landmark 10th year.

For the past decade, the REEL ROCK Film Tour has defined the standard for climbing movies with its annual offering of stunning action and compelling stories to audiences around the globe. REEL ROCK is set to raise the bar once again this year as it kicks off its worldwide tour to over 450 locations across all seven continents.

This collaboration Session IPA, available in 19.2-ounce limited release cans and on draft in Upslope’s tap rooms, is light, crisp and hop forward. To create the bright and refreshing base, Upslope brewed its Session IPA with premium pilsner and a touch of German rye. Hop bursted and dry hopped with loads of Galaxy and Cascade, the aroma offers notes of peach, passionfruit and citrus zest. With the full flavor and bitterness of an IPA at 41 IBU, but brewed to 3.9% ABV, imbibers can feel free to session another after a hard session at the crag.

REEL ROCK 10 includes exclusive premieres of short films by co-founders Sender Films and Big UP Productions that tell the stories of the most exciting vertical achievements from the past year, including an epic traverse across the jagged peaks of Patagonia, a rowdy pumpfest at 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell, and an exclusive look at the history-making Dawn Wall free ascent. REEL ROCK 10 will feature athletes Tommy Caldwell, Kevin Jorgeson, Alex Honnold and Daniel Woods, with a special tribute to the late Dean Potter. Audiences will share in moments of hilarity, struggle and triumph as these hardcore and often larger-than-life climbers take on awe-inspiring challenges.

Release Party

To celebrate the release of this limited release REEL ROCK Session IPA, Upslope will host a party at its Flatiron Park tap room from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2015. 19.2-ounce cans of this collaboration brew will be available for purchase for $6. LuLu’s BBQ will be on site serving up food truck eats.

The REEL ROCK Film Tour brings the best climbing and adventure films of the year to live audiences throughout the world. REEL ROCK shows are high energy, community events that go beyond mere film screenings to include prize giveaways, athlete and filmmaker appearances, non-profit fundraising, and a festival atmosphere. REEL ROCK is presented by The North Face and Gore-tex, and sponsored by Sterling Rope, Goal Zero, Petzl, Skratch Labs, and Climbing Magazine.

We’re looking for an energetic and friendly individual with a passion for craft beer and outstanding customer service to join our team in the tap room!

Currently, we are looking for a part-time employee to work weekends and the occasional weekday with hours as early as 10:00 am and as late as 11:00 pm. Occasional event and festival work may be available.

Job duties will be focused around the tap room and lending a hand during brewery events.

Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, the following (plus, a little more on what we’re looking for):

Serving and talking about the beer in our tap rooms – A passion for the craft beer industry is a must! Strong craft beer knowledge and previous serving experience is a major plus.

Interacting with customers – Customer service is our #1. A professional and positive attitude are a must! Experience with face-to-face customer service is a plus.

Draft system maintenance & troubleshooting – Must be a quick learner and willing to handle kegs.

Conducting tours and telling the “Upslope story” (don’t worry…we’ll teach ya) – Bring a fun, upbeat & enthusiastic personality to the table and we can show you the rest!

Maintaining cleanliness of tap room – Must be a self-starter and willing to help where we needed.

All employees will be required to become TIPS certified upon hiring.

We work in a fast-paced, rapidly changing environment, where hard work and working well with others is paramount. We’re all about work hard, play hard, to, so enjoying the outdoor lifestyle is encouraged at Upslope.

To apply:

Send cover letter and resume to chad@upslopebrewing.com, or drop ’em off at either tap room.

Inspired by traditional monastic brewing, Upslope’s brewers set out to create a hefty and intricate Quadrupel to celebrate the craftsmanship of Belgian brewing. Brewed with a select strain of Belgian yeast and traditional Belgian candi syrup, the 12.8% abv beer matured over six months to mellow and soften its character. With layered notes of flambéd bananas foster, black currants and hints of clove, this fine ale will continue to develop and transform over time.

“This fifth installment falls near the first anniversary of releasing our Lee Hill Series. We launched the Series with a Barrel Aged Brown Ale last summer as a tribute to our original Lee Hill tap room in North Boulder,” said Upslope Head Brewer Sam Scruby. “The Lee Hill brewing facility is where we revel in and explore small batch experimentation and creativity. One year in to the Series, we couldn’t be more pleased with the creations that have come out of this place. It’s a great time to reinforce our commitment to experimenting and crafting small batch, innovative styles and carry on this quarterly tradition.”

Release Party

To celebrate the release of Lee Hill Series Vol. 5, Upslope will host a party at its Lee Hill tap room from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2015. 19.2-ounce cans of the Belgian Style Quadrupel Ale will be available for purchase for $13 (limit four). Heirloom will be on site serving up food truck eats.

Boulder, Colo. (July 16, 2015) – Upslope Brewing Company broadens their collection of carefully crafted beers with the introduction of the all-new Tap Room Series and the newest addition to their line of seasonal Limited Releases – Blood Orange Saison.The 19.2-ounce rotating Tap Room Series cans will consist of brewer-selected beers that have been vetted in Upslope’s tap rooms. Unlike the barrel aged Lee Hill Series that was introduced last summer, which are often intended to be cellared, the highly approachable new series of beers are crafted to be consumed brewery-fresh.

The first in the series, a 5.9% abv Citra Pale Ale, will be available for purchase at one of Upslope’s two Boulder tap rooms and select retailers starting July 27, 2015. The Citra hops used to brew this American Pale Ale impart distinctive citrus and tropical fruit flavors. With a moderately dry finish and a spicy hop character that approaches that of an IPA, this beer has been a top seller in our tap rooms since its release.

“Our tap room customers are continuously excited by the creative new recipes our brewers are coming up with,” said Upslope Founder Matt Cutter. “It’s great to be able to offer some of our most popular styles in this new Tap Room Series so these beers can also be enjoyed at home or on the trail.”

Upslope’s newest Limited Release creation, a 12-ounce Blood Orange Saison, will be available in 6-packs beginning in Sept. 2015 in all of Upslope’s distribution areas, including: Colorado, Texas, Wyoming, Arizona, Montana and New Mexico. The distinctive citrus flavor of the Mandarina Bavaria hops used to brew this 6% abv saison complement the blood oranges, while the spice from the pink peppercorns interplays with the beer’s natural sweetness.

Temperatures are rising and we’ve been busy brewing!

In celebration of our new Tuesday Tappings (where we release a brand new beer every Tuesday at our Flatiron Park brewery) we’ve decided to make it a very hoppy July!

We’ll be releasing a different IPA every Tuesday throughout the entire month of July, and we’re bringing out an eclectic mix of fresh, juicy, balanced, and assertive brews to get you through the summer heat. We’ve included two S.M.A.S.H. (single malt and single hop) beers to highlight specific hop and malt varieties that we love, and a couple of other innovative concoctions.

Check out the lineup below as Head Brewer, Sam Scruby, enlightens us on what to expect:

Name of Beer: S.M.A.S.H. (Red-X, Belma)Release Date: July 7thDescription: “We decided to pair this new malt type with a new hop variety. The fiery red color of Red-X gives this beer a ruby hue with a full bodied and slightly biscuity character. Belma hops give a very distinctive strawberry aroma with hints of pine and melon .”

Name of Beer: Mosaic IPARelease Date: July 14thDescription: “We felt like using a newer and increasingly popular hop variety: Mosaic. This will be our most aggressive and hop- forward offering of the month, with big tropical and candy like fruit notes, and a solidly American size dose of IBUs.”

Name of Beer: S.M.A.S.H. (Maris Otter, East Kent Golding)Release Date: July 21stDescription: “A more balanced and traditional approach to a single hopped beer, we choose two of the most popular English brewing inputs- The spicy,floral and earthy East Kent Golding, and the distinctly rich and full-flavored Maris Otter malt .”

Name of Beer: Oatmeal IPA with CascadeRelease Date: July 28thDescription: “It’s a new spin on the classic American hop. We’re looking to combine the smooth and silky texture of oats with the robust grapefruit and citrus flavors imparted from North American Cascade hops. Dare I say creamsicle IPA? We will find out.”

We are stoked for our new Tuesday Tappings program, and thrilled to kick it off with some IPA awesomeness. Join us at Flatiron Park every Tuesday to beat the summer heat with these brews!

Still want more, hop heads?

Grab your ticket* HERE – includes entry into the festival, a commemorative Jul-IPA glass which allows you to taste 35+ IPAs, live music & games. Food will be available for purchase from The Millennium Hotel and The West End Tavern.

After the devastating earthquakes in Nepal, the crew at Upslope was looking for a way to help.

Our friends at Global Works – International Community Service have worked with the children of the Dadagaun Village School & Orphanage in Nepal in the past. The school and orphanage both experienced substantial damage during and after the first earthquake. The orphanage and many village homes were rendered unsafe to live in. Village residents and children from the orphanage have been sleeping on the ground under makeshift lean-tos and tents. The orphanage needs to be entirely re-built.

On June 10th, Global Works joined us in hosting a benefit at our Flatiron Park tap room in order to raise funds for the residents and children of Dadagaun Village.

To start things off, we held a one-hour yoga class in our tap room. With a suggested donation of $10 for the class, all proceeds went toward the cause. Following the class, we held a silent auction with items donated by Upslope, Global Works, Zeal Optics, Rab USA, Patagonia, Salewa & Osprey Packs. Additionally, local musicians donated their time and played upbeat music on our patio.

A dollar from every beer sold during the event was donated- so we were happy to see such a great turnout. Upslope also matched every dollar made from the silent auction.

Members from the Global Works team gave a presentation on Dadagaun Village and showcased an exquisite slideshow of photos taken in Nepal, many of which were also available at the silent auction.

We are so grateful to our friends at Global Works, our event sponsors, and our customers who came out to help us raise funds for this awesome cause! Without everyone’s help, we couldn’t have raised $4,200 for Dadagaun Village.

We teamed up with our neighbors up at our Lee Hill brewery, Dragonfly Coffee Roasters, for a limited release collaboration that’s sure to perk you right up – a Yirgacheffe Coffee Dubbel.

Charlie & Tamas

“We decided to try something that wasn’t the typical coffee beer,” said our Head of Barrel Aging and Special Projects, Charlie Condon. “We felt the Dubbel would be a great platform for the coffee Tamas (Owner of Dragonfly Coffee Roasters) selected.”

Yirgacheffe coffee beans

The particular Ethiopian Yirgacheffe coffee utilized in this beer shows profound tones of blueberry, fragrant lily & musk in the aroma and cup with a light footed yet lively tangerine-like acidity and a well rounded, gently drying cacao-nib like finish.

According to Charlie, they decided to use Orbit hops, which are a southern hemisphere blend of hop varietals that he describes as having blueberry notes.

Preparing the coffee grounds to enter the brew

Both the coffee and beer come together to create a sweet aroma somewhere between cotton candy and plums, balanced against a subtle earthiness.

In celebration of Earth Day, Upslope staffers teamed up with our friends from Zeal Optics and polar explorer Eric Larsen and team, to help make a difference!

Environmental non-profit organization, Wildlands Restoration Volunteers (WRV) has been working hard to restore the land damaged by Boulder County’s historic flood in 2013. This Earth Day, we were lucky enough to lend a few hands in their most recent project: planting willows and cottonwoods along the river in Eldorado Canyon.

We got down and dirty and had an absolute blast. Thanks to WRV who showed us the ropes, we were able to take part in planting the 900 plants accomplished that day. We celebrated by drinking a few hard-earned beers and throwing a Get Wild to Save the Wild party at our Flatiron Park tap room, where a dollar from every beer sold benefited our new friends at WRV.

We were so grateful for the opportunity to help WRV this past Earth Day and really look forward to our next restoration adventure with them. To learn more about ways to support WRV, click here!

Sixty rock climbers and outdoor junkies filled the parking lot of The BLOC bouldering gym as the summery April sun reached over the Rincon Mountains to illuminate the desert city of Tucson. Buckets, trash bags and gloves in hand, the volunteers splintered off into smaller clusters following a safety briefing, each charged with cleaning up a different section of the 27-mile Catalina Highway thanks to the organizational efforts of the Climbing Association of Southern Arizona (CASA). The day would be warm and the work messy, but the reward—a cleaner mountain liberated of hundreds of pounds of trash—would be enjoyed by the mountain’s visitors for years to come.

We began selling our beer in Arizona last year, seeing our neighbor as a great market for a brand inspired by the active lifestyles we enjoy so much. With just about every type of outdoor recreation available in Arizona, from mountain biking and cycling to rock climbing, hiking, and snow sports, we knew there would be no shortage of outdoorsy types thirsty for our lightweight, canned brews. Like them, we love drinking good beer while doing the things we love, and we aim to do it as responsibly as we can!

It’s no secret that our home state of Colorado is big on protecting the environment, and so are we. Between running green events at our two breweries in Boulder, partnering with conservation groups like Trout Unlimited to protect our local watersheds (after all, beer is over 90% water!) and above all, practicing environmentally-friendly brewing practices, we’re exploring all avenues for reducing our impact on the planet. So when we caught wind of a climber-run mountain cleanup happening in the mountains north of Tucson, we wanted to show our support for anyone willing to volunteer their Saturday to a cause as pure as picking up trash in the great outdoors.

As it turns out, a lot of these conscious climbers also like craft beer. Who knew?

Stretching through five of North America’s seven life zones, from lowland desert to alpine forests, the Catalina Mountains serve as one of the most diverse natural environments in the country. Thousands of trad., sport, and mixed climbing routes established through decades of rock climbing line the highway leading from Tucson to the summit of Mt. Lemmon in a steep 6,000-foot climb that bridges the desert and forest, earning the mountain rage the title of “sky island.” Regarded as one of the best cycling roads in the country and dotted with endless scenic vistas, picnic areas and campgrounds, the mountain range attracts over a million visitors each year in their pursuit of all things athletic, aesthetic and leisurely.

Unfortunately, an unsightly side effect of human activity is waste. Though vastly reduced in recent years thanks in part to grassroots efforts like CASA’s “clean and climb” event, trash hides in the shadows along the sides of the otherwise-stunning highway. From the base to the summit, chunks of blown tires, rusty exhaust components, shattered fragments of plastic Wal-Mart snow sleds and above-all, shattered beer bottles (see why we’re into this whole canned beer thing?) lurk in ditches and beneath rocks. One need only step a few paces off the beaten path to find the evidence of some visitors’ regrettable disregard for the same scenery they venture up the mountain to enjoy.

One bag a person. That’s all it takes to make a difference. In just two hours, sixty volunteers rid the mountain of sixty bags of trash, forty feet of rebar, sixty feet of steel pipe and one spare truck tire. Their reward? Satisfaction, a cleaner and safer climbing haven, lots of free Access Fund and Upslope schwag and last but not least, an Upslope/The BLOC co-sponsored social scheduled at sundown for volunteers who opted to climb on the mountain following the cleanup.

As one might imagine, there was plenty of Upslope beer and numerous stories of odd trash finds to be shared!

“But where does beer fit into the equation?” one might ask. Like most products, beer taxes the environment in ways often unseen, from water usage and heating expenses to transportation costs and last but not lease, packaging waste.

A majority of the trash collected at the cleanup was glass beer bottles. Recycling and production costs aside, glass bottles pose one threat to the environment that cannot be solved: It breaks. When it breaks, one piece of trash instantly becomes one hundred pieces of trash, littering campsites with hazardous fragments for a lifetime and making cleanup exponentially more laborious. Glass bottles also weight more and can’t be compressed like aluminum cans, making transportation of both full and empty bottles a costlier and more burdensome endeavor. See where we’re going with this?

As a brewery that crafts with conscience at every step, we don’t want to see our product in one of these ditches. While we can only do so much to reduce our brewery’s impact on the environment, we recognize that the people you sell to play just as large a role in the propagation of your product as you do. By advocating for sustainable brewing practices and supporting grassroots movements like CASA’s clean-and-climb, we hope to spread an attitude of considerate consumption and environmental sensitivity.

Canned beer isn’t the end-all cure to beer-related waste. In fact, draft beer addresses that issue more directly since kegs can be reused indefinitely. But since the dawn of modern outdoor adventure, men and women have burdened their packs with the weight of beer, seeing it as a critical comfort in their trudge to confront the wild head-on.

The next time you head outside, consider what you’ve read here as you fill your cooler or your pack with the so-called “people’s drink.” Even if it’s not Upslope beer, follow our lead and leave the glass at home. All it takes is one brash movement to break a bottle and litter a campsite, trail or crag for an eternity.

Are you passionate about the environment? Do you like to drink delicious craft beer and see live music?

Upslope is looking for volunteers for our Green Team at this year’s Get Down music festival on May 16 to help educate our 3000+ attendees on what items are recyclable and compostable and assist in helping us maintain a zero-waste event.

No previous eco-education necessary, as our Eco-Cycle team leaders will teach you all you need to know! And you won’t even get your hands dirty! Your job is to stand by our greening receptacles for a 3-hour shift and make sure festival-goers are disposing their items in the proper places. Should be pretty simple, especially because we’re using compostable cups provided by Eco-Products! Volunteers will receive one beer ticket per hour served.

Interested?

Send a short email with your name and contact info to tiffany@upslopebrewing.com.

Here’s all the info you need to know for our the FREE Upslope Get Down music festival! Check out our FAQ, dust off your dancing shoes and get ready to have a great time! #getdown2015

Families are welcome at the Upslope Get Down (We’ll even have a free Kid’s Zone)! As this is an event at a brewery, however, all patrons 21 and under must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

IDs will be checked at the Front Gate upon entry. No ID, no entry – no exceptions.

Event is rain or shine.

WHEN & WHERE is the event?Saturday, May 16 from 1:00 pm to 11:00 pm at our Flatiron Park brewery. Doors open at 12:30 pm. Flatiron Park is located at 1898 S Flatiron Ct, Boulder, CO 80301. The fest is taking place in the back parking lot, brewery and tap room. Parking will be available in neighboring lots and on the street. Car pooling and biking is encouraged + shuttles throughout our neighborhood thanks to Beertooth Tasting Society.

Will your tap rooms be open as usual that day?Our Flatiron Park tap room will be open at the usual time of 11:00 am. We will only be serving our original core four styles – no tasters. At 12:30 pm, when festival doors open, all guests in the tap room will be directed to enter at the festival’s Front Gate to get their event wristband. Our Lee Hill tap room will open at the usual time of 2:00 pm, but will be closing early at 6:00 pm. Join us at the fest!

Where will I park?We will have signage directing guests to a few neighboring lots to accommodate parking. There is also street parking around. We are expecting lots of guests, so carpooling and riding bikes is highly encouraged! Car pooling and biking is encouraged + shuttles throughout our neighborhood thanks to Beertooth Tasting Society.

Are dogs allowed?Due to the nature and size of the event, dogs are not permitted. We love ‘em too, but please do not bring your four-legged friends or we will not be able to allow you to enter the festival. Service dogs will be permitted with proper paperwork only.

How will I buy beer?There will be several beer stations throughout the event. These stations will accept BEER TICKETS ONLY. We will have multiple beer ticket stations at the fest where you can purchase these Beer Tickets by cash or credit card. 1 ticket = $5. All beers = 1 ticket.

What beers will you be serving?We will be selling our original core four styles – Pale Ale, IPA, Brown Ale, & Craft Lager + summer Limited Release Thai Style White IPA – in 16 oz compostable cups. There will be specialty beers available exclusively in the VIP area.

Will there be seating, or can I bring my camping chair?Yes. There will be limited seating under a few shade tents, but feel free to bring your own camping chair with you.

Will there be ATMs?Yes. Beer Ticket stations will also accept credit cards.

Is the fest ADA accessible?Yes. The Upslope Get Down is an ADA accessible event space for both general admission and VIP patrons.

What steps are you taking to make this a green event?All beer cups are 100% compostable thanks to Eco-Products. All food truck vendors are also required to use all compostable or recyclable materials. Eco-cycle will be on site with waste receptacles for compost, recycling, and trash. With our efforts, we are hoping to generate as little trash as possible. Want to help out? Join our Green Team!

What’s provided?

Potable water

Portable toilets

Compost, Recycling & Trash stations: a chance for everyone to do their part!

Food trucks

Limited shade & seating (Camping chairs are permitted!)

Lost and Found

ATMs

Security services

Great music to help you #getdown!

What’s not allowed?

No LARGE BAGS/BACKPACKS

No DOGS (Pets) – service dogs MUST have paperwork!

No GLASS

No COOLERS

No OUTSIDE ALCOHOL

No OUTSIDE FOOD AND DRINK

No ILLEGAL DRUGS

No FIREWORKS

No UNLICENSED VENDING of any kind

No WEAPONS

For more questions, please call the tap room at (303) 396-1898. See Saturday, May 16!

We hope you’re as excited as we are about the release of our Craft Lager 12-packs! Perfect for outdoor adventures, these cans are river-ready. We’re honoring our upstream roots through our 1% for Rivers Campaign and partnership with Trout Unlimited.

This year-round style has become a staple for Colorado craft beer fans and river enthusiasts alike and has been benefitting coldwater fisheries and watersheds through our 1% for Rivers campaign since 2011. One percent of all Craft Lager can sales are donated to local Trout Unlimited chapters in Colorado, Arizona, Montana, Texas and Wyoming.

“Our local watersheds give us so much—beauty, recreation and of course, the snowmelt that goes into our premium craft beers,” said Henry Wood, Upslope’s Director of Sales and Marketing. “Protecting our water is not only essential for good fishing, it’s also good for beer—and we all know fishing is better with beer!”

Upslope Craft Lager is a premium American lager brewed entirely of malted barley and Saaz hops. Snowmelt-infused and river-ready, this Colorado-style session beer delivers a clean, easy, light-bodied lager for the ages.

“Trout Unlimited is thrilled to ramp up our partnership with Upslope on the 1% for Rivers campaign,” said Joel Johnson, Chief Marketing Officer for Trout Unlimited. “We share a goal of raising awareness for conservation of trout. TU’s presence on their new 12-packs will give Upslope fans the opportunity to enjoy a great craft beer while making the fishing better on their home water.”

Trout Unlimited is a national organization that works to conserve, protect and restore North America’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds. One percent of proceeds from every can of Upslope Craft Lager sold will go directly to local chapters to ensure that robust populations of native and wild coldwater fish such as Trout and Salmon once again thrive within their North American range.

Twelve-packs of Upslope Craft Lager will be available on shelves at select Colorado liquor stores and will be available in all of Upslope’s channels of distribution later this spring, including our out-of-state markets: Arizona, Montana, Texas and Wyoming.

Here at Upslope, our brewers are constantly experimenting- often blending new styles with traditional techniques. This winter, we teamed up with local herbalist and nutritionist Elizabeth Willis and set out to create a hopless beer to capture the unique flavors of the season. Our inspiration came from the the ancient tradition of using spruce branches in the brewing and filtration process. After much experimentation we crafted a complex, warming, stout-like herbal ale for the short, cold days of winter.

For the formulation, we focused on creating a one of a kind beer with an emphasis on herbs that
promote overall winter health and good immunity like Echinacea, Siberian Ginseng, Fir tips, and local honey. Notes of fresh pine and chocolate are the centerpieces of this unique, hopless beer.

From the Herbalist Point of View: Winter Herbal Ale

Echinacea

Echinacea (echinacea angustifolia) This highly popular herbal remedy is used primarily as an
immunomodulant (to increase phagocytic activity of macrophages & leukocyte count) and is anti-
inflammatory, antiviral and is used to stimulate the lymphatic system. It is a cleansing, bitter, lyphatic and immune stimulating herb.

Fir (abies alba) A primary focus and flavor in this beer, Fir is rich in vitamin C and has been used traditionally for all types of respiratory irritation and discomfort. It can also be used as a topical antiseptic. Its flavor is bright, clean and potent and its action in the body is cleansing, expectorant, nutritive and promotes overall respiratory strength. We chose to use Fir over some of the other Pine family plants because unlike the evergreens, Fir (Douglas Fir) contains high concentrations of sugars, mainly trisaccharides and melezitose.

Oregon Grape Root

Oregon Grape Root (mahonia spp.) Oregon Grape Root is the primary bittering herb in this beer. It is a bitter, cooling, draining and detoxifying herb. In 1870, eclectic doctor, John Scudder, MD. described Oregon Grape to “right the wrongs” and “and give new tone and new blood to the body…” Oregon Grape is specific for promoting: liver health, good digestion and assimilation, while also being antiseptic and antimicrobial.

Siberian Ginseng (elutherococcus senticosus) Classified as an “adaptogen” Siberian Ginseng is a long-term tonic to build strength, energy, endurance and assist in the adaptation to stress and stress related illness.

Local Honey rich in enzymes, minerals, b-vitamins and vitamin C Honey is an excellent sweetener for many styles of beer. Honey is anti-inflammatory, tonic, antiviral, and antibiotic and offers a unique flavor that you wouldn’t get from using white sugar.

Elizabeth Willis CCN., CCH. has a private practice in Boulder CO, and works as a consultant with individuals and natural product companies in product development and consumer education to inspire better health.

We’re pumped to announce the release of the third volume of our quarterly limited release Lee Hill Series Thursday, February 19 at our original Lee Hill tap room in North Boulder. The Barrel Aged Imperial Stout continues the celebration of experimentation and creativity that has become the trademark of our small-batch brewery.

The Lee Hill Series Volume 3 Barrel Aged Imperial Stout was brewed to be aged in Leopold Bros. Maryland Rye Whiskey barrels. With copious amounts of Maris Otter malted barley and three distinct roasted grains this stout provides a chocolate, coffee and nuanced dark fruit flavor that fuses excellently with the unique character of the oak barrels. At 10% abv, this robust winter treat delivers spicy rye and smooth vanilla aromas imparted from the barrel aging process.

“Brewing and aging the Lee Hill Series in a small-batch format gives us the opportunity to experiment with the finest ingredients available,” said Head Brewer, Sam Scruby. “The Volume 3 Barrel Aged Imperial Stout is a sturdy, yet smooth, take on the classic stout style.”

After the strong successes of the first and second volumes of the Lee Hill Series releases, we are continuing our commitment to innovation by crafting small batches of cellar-worthy beer.

We had an awesome year in 2014. We released (and drank) a lot of really great beer, entered the Regional Craft Brewery category with our annual production growth, expanded our distribution, received our 6th medal at the Great American Beer Festival just in time for our 6th Anniversary, and threw some wild parties – we couldn’t have done it without you!

Here’s a look at what really happened in 2014:

By surpassing the 15,000-barrel mark in sales for the first time during 2014, Upslope reached our goal of becoming a regional craft brewery one year ahead of schedule.

In 2014, we exceeded forecasted production by brewing and selling 19,600 barrels, an increase of 66 percent over the previous year. The strong growth in 2014 was fueled by increased demand in our home market of Colorado as well as expanded distribution to Texas, Arizona and Wyoming.

Also driving sales was the introduction of a fifth Limited Release style, the Thai Style White IPA, and Upslope’s new, experimental Lee Hill Series. The series, announced in July 2014, earned high praise within the craft beer community – Volume One achieved the number one ranking in Paste Magazine’s “Best New Beers of 2014.”

So what’s up for 2015?

The recent addition of a new centrifuge, canning line, cold room and three more 120-barrel fermenters will bring brewing capacity to 35,000 barrels, allowing Upslope to expand distribution to Montana and New Mexico in the upcoming months.

“With the addition of Montana and New Mexico Upslope will now be distributed, border-to-border, throughout the Intermountain West,” says Henry Wood, Director of Sales and Marketing. “This will put the freshest beer into market areas where we love to work and play.”

Also planned for 2015 is the introduction of an additional 12 oz. Limited Release style and the continuation of the Lee Hill series.

Thank you for drinking beer with us in 2014!

We are so excited for what’s the come this year in 2015. Don’t forget to dust off those dancing shoes and save the date for our 2nd Annual Get Down Music Festival on Saturday, May 16 at our Flatiron Park brewery.

We may have moved up and out of the microbrewery category (we recently became a regional craft brewer based on our levels of production), but don’t think for a minute that we’ve forgotten where we came from!

Just in case you did, how about the world’s quickest rundown! Just over six years ago, Upslope Brewing Company got our start on a little brewhouse in North Boulder up on Lee Hill Road. When we outgrew that 7 bbl system, instead of moving to a new location altogether, we opened a second, much larger facility across town at Flatiron Park to serve as our main production facility. So what happened to our Lee Hill brewery? Well, it’s pumping out more specialty brews than you can drink! Upslope’s, now small batch, North Boulder brewery and tap room, celebrates experimentation and creativity.

“Upon building a second Boulder brewery, our plan was to retain our original location at Lee Hill to continue the legacy of innovation, collaboration and experimentation that has brought us to where we are today,” says Founder Matt Cutter.

Among all of the small batch beers we brew at Lee Hill, most will hit our tap rooms, but our favorites get canned as part of our experimental, Lee Hill Series. Each quarter we select a beer to put into 19.2 oz cans to showcase the best of what has emerged from this brewer’s playground. As Upslope’s tribute and continued commitment to experimenting and crafting small batches of beer, the Lee Hill Series offers new and innovative styles that are sure to be cellar keepsakes.

Tiffany removing spent grains from the mash tun

So what’s brewing right now?

When we stopped into the brewery last Thursday, Charlie was brewing up a batch of our Wild Christmas Ale with Cranberries added, so Tiffany jumped in to lend a hand.

Wait. A Christmas Ale? Why are we brewing a Christmas Ale in January?

Known around the brewery as, The Grinch, this beer begins with our Christmas Ale that we will age in red wine barrels with our house sour culture until it’s re-release next December.

The addition of 200 lbs of fresh cranberries accentuates the complex malt body and sour notes from the Lactobacillus and Brettanomyces. Finishing with just a hint of spice and a warming alcohol note, this version of the Christmas Ale gives a whole new meaning to holiday spirit.

So have patience, ya’ll! We all know that good things come to those who wait, right? We plan on putting this bad boy into 19.2 oz cans as part of our Lee Hill Series set to be released December 2015. For the eager beer lover, you can stop by our Flatiron Park tap room for a glass of our 2014 version of the Wild Christmas Ale while supplies last.

“Originally brewed in 2009, Foreign Style Stout debuted as our first anniversary beer and has been one of my favorites ever since,” says our Co-founder and Director of Brewery Operations, Dany Pages. “It embodies the roots of a foreign export stout, but is brewed to have a rich head and smooth roast character.”

So what is a Foreign Stout?

This traditional Irish style, also known as an Export Stout, was historically brewed bigger than usual to withstand the long journey to tropical markets. While there are many variations of this style, our version highlights roasted coffee notes, an opaque black color and a delicately warming mouthfeel.

Brewer Eric gettin’ after it!

Our Foreign Style Stout sits at 6.9% abv with an easy finish. Roasted barley, chocolate malts, our signature Patagonian hops, and Irish Ale Yeast come together to create the perfect beer for stout aficionados and newbies alike. It’s the perfect beer to drink after a day on the slopes.

Volume 2, Wild Saison, delivers bright notes of ripe fruit imparted by the Saison yeast and is nicely balanced by the tartness of the Lactobacillus and Brettanomyces. The farmhouse inspired 6.8% abv sour ale was aged for seven months in select red wine barrels then packaged in 19.2-ounce cans.

“Our Lee Hill Series gives us the opportunity to showcase our experimental side and these highly limited brews are a fun experience for our brewers and fans alike,” said Head Brewer, Sam Scruby. “We’re excited to release Volume 2 and share our American sour take on a classic beer style.”

Following the overwhelming success of the Barrel Aged Brown Ale, the first volume of the Lee Hill Series, we are continuing our commitment to innovation and crafting small batches of beer. The Wild Saison will certainly be another cellar keepsake.

Beer lovers wanting to try the second installment on tap or score a can for their cellar should head to our Lee Hill Tap Room ($10/19.2 oz can; limit 4 per customer).

We were lucky enough to collaborate with these breweries who each sourced ingredients from their local communities for this brew. With local hops from Oregon, Colorado and Indiana, honey from New York, and 100% Colorado Malt, each brewery was able to bring something to the table.

So where can you find it? If you’re lucky enough to be in Denver for the Great American Beer Festival (GABF), check us out at the following tapping events:

October 1st

Falling Rock Tap House is hosting a special tapping party at 4pm kick off GABF right.

It will be available on tap at our Flatiron Park tap room while supplies last, starting at 11am.

October 2nd

You can also find “Up 4 It” on tap during Upslope’s tap take over at World of Beer at 4pm.

Photos from our brew day with Upslope Head Brewer Sam Scruby and Patrick from Upland:

Upslope Brewing Company is rapidly growing and looking to expand their team with motivated, energetic, outdoor loving, craft beer drinking people! If you’re looking to enjoy this awesome industry and think you’ll be a good fit, check out the current position openings below and give us a shout (directions on how to apply beneath each position). Upslope is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

Brewer

Upslope Brewing Company is seeking an experienced brewer to join our brewing team. Qualified candidates will have prior experience brewing at a rapidly growing craft brewery. Upslope currently operates two breweries, and this position will involve wort production at both locations. Occasional cellar work may be required and candidates with experience operating a vertical pressure leaf filter, 10 sq. meters or larger, are preferred. This position will work closely with laboratory staff, Lead Brewers and reports directly to the Head Brewer.

Sales Representative – Colorado, Rocky Mountains & Western Slope

Upslope Brewing Company is looking for a highly motivated sales representative in the Colorado Rocky Mountains and Western Slope. To be successful, this candidate will have a strong background in sales, preferably in the beer, wine & spirits industry, and have a passion for craft beer. This candidate must also be highly motivated, extremely organized and an independent self-starter that thrives in a very competitive market. This position will be based in the Central Colorado Mountains and will require travel throughout this territory.

Responsibilities

Responsible for representing and expanding sales for Upslope Brewing Company in on & off premise accounts in designated sales territory. Sales Territory will include Summit County, Vail Valley, Winter Park, Steamboat, Roaring Fork Valley/ Glenwood Springs, Grand Junction down Hwy 50 To Montrose and Hwy 550 to Ouray, Telluride, Durango and Cortez.

Support and grow all accounts, especially the “Top 75” accounts in sales territory.

Build relationships with the buyers and sales teams at all off-premise accounts.

Maintain complete and accurate sales data in SalesForce CRM.

Responsible for supporting and growing on-premise accounts.

Coordinate and facilitate communication between retail and distribution accounts to ensure product is being ordered and delivered appropriately and that our healthy relationship is maintained. This includes:

Barley’s Angels and Bronuts have teamed up with Upslope to host a donut and beer pairing Women’s Night!

Ladies, join us at our Flatiron Park tap room as we kick off our first event in a series of Women’s Nights with Barley’s Angels.

Barley’s Angels Colorado chapter is a social and educational women’s beer drinking club exploring the best of what Colorado craft beer has to offer + all of their events involve food. They are on a mission to give more women access to delicious craft beer.

Bronuts are two brothers who are crazy about donuts, asking others to, “Have Some Balls,” and try their donut holes – ranging in flavors from delicious classics like chocolate and maple to modern creations like bleu cheese and blueberry.

Come meet the women of Upslope and Barley’s Angels, and join us in a pairing of craft donuts and beer, and find out what’s to come at our future Women’s Night events.

Last week was all about hops with the celebration of International #IPADay. This week, we’re switching it up and going hop-less with the debut and special tapping of a gruit we’re calling our Summer Herbal Ale. Brewed with local herbalist, Elizabeth Willis, Certified Clinical Nutritionist and Certified Medical Herbalist, this 5.7% gruit was brewed using the following herbs instead of hops: Oregon grape root, skullcap, chamomile, linden, tulsi basil, elderberry, cinnamon, black pepper, coriander, yarrow flower, & hawthorn berry.

Tapping Party this Thursday, August 14

Join us for a special tapping this Thursday, August 14 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at our Lee Hill tap room! Rebecca’s Herbal Apothecary & Supply will be on site sampling and educating guests on a variety of herbs, while Bumper Crop food truck will be serving up farm fresh eats to pair with our brews.

Guest Blog Post

The tradition of brewing beer was discovered and used independently across the globe between 10 and 30,000 years ago. The beer of our ancestors included the use of 20 different kinds of wild yeasts, 15 different sugar sources and over 200 different medicinal plants. Beer was often considered sacred and was used not only to nourish and relax those who drank it, but as apart of ceremony and religion.

This extensive use of grain fermentation and plants in fermented beverages has a colorful history. With the use of their original Lee Hill brewery, Upslope continues the tradition of crafting small batch brews.

What is a Hops Free Beer?

Referred to as “gruit,” hops free beer was the common drink and name for beer in Europe for nearly a thousand years before the common use of hops in beer. Gruit was brewed with, primarily, a combination of three herbs: Sweet Gale (Myrica gale), Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), and Wild Rosemary (Ledum palustre) which were used to temper the sweetness of the grains, add medicinal properties and preserve the drink from spoiling. Gruit was notorious for its ability to alter consciousness, promote well-being and increase sex drive.

Limited Edition – Summer Herbal Ale

Going back to ancient brewing roots, Upslope brewers worked with Elizabeth Willis, Certified Clinical Herbalist and Certified Clinical Nutritionist to create a one of a kind beer – a gruit, Summer Herbal Ale, that not only meets the Upslope standard for great flavor, but delivers a summer beer with plants from the Rocky Mountains.

An Herbalist’s Perspective

Elderflowers & Elderberry, Sambucus nigraElder flower is a traditional European herb known as the ‘medicine chest of the country people.’ High in potassium, Elderflower offers nourishment to the body with a light musky, floral scent. Elderflower makes an excellent infusion for cordials, infused wines and champagnes. Elderberry is a cherished immune tonic that is rich in antioxidants, vitamins and has a delicious fruity flavor.

Holy Basil, Ocimum sanctumA traditional Ayurvedic herb, Holy basil is also called, the “Incomparable One,” and is known for being one of the most sacred plants in India. Holy basil is a powerful antioxidant and used to focus the mind, soothe the body and assist the seeking of higher consciousness.

Chamomile, Matricaria recutita Chamomile is probably the most widely used relaxing herbs used in the western world. Slightly bitter, Chamomile is used to calm upset babies, soothe teething pains and assist healthy digestion for all ages.

Skullcap, Scutellaria laterfoliaA lesser known mint family plant, skullcap is slightly bitter in flavor and is used in herbalism to calm and relax the body and mind, and promote and sense of wellbeing. This valuable plant grows wild in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains!

Linden, Tilia euopaeaRich in bioflavonoid’s, this traditional European remedy is relaxing and opening. Linden has a light, delicate and intoxicating aroma and improves a sense of comfort and relaxation.

Oregon Grape Root, Mahonia spp.Oregon grape is bitter, cooling and cleansing. In 1870, Eclectic doctor John Scudder, MD. describes Oregon
Grape to “right the wrongs” and “and give new tone and new blood to the body.”

Calling all photographers (yep, you!): Enter to WIN our #UpslopeBrewsnViews Facebook Photo Contest and have your photo blown up and hung in our Flatiron Park tap room, plus take home a sweet Upslope prize pack! We want to see how YOU enjoy Upslope in the great outdoors, so grab some brews, get outside and start snapping.

High resolution images are preferred. All submissions may be used by Upslope Brewing Company for future marketing purposes. Contest ends on September 1, 2014.

We may have a newer, larger production brewery at Flatiron Park, but don’t think for a minute we’ve forgotten where we came from. Our original North Boulder brewery at Lee Hill has been a hotbed of creativity lately, crankin’ out some killer small batch brews for our tap rooms, and is now the home of the Lee Hill Series – a quarterly, limited release series celebrating experimentation and creativity. This Series, served up in 19.2 ounce cans, offers new and innovative styles that are sure to be cellar keepsakes.

“Upon building a second Boulder brewery, our plan was to retain our original location at Lee Hill to continue the legacy of innovation, collaboration and experimentation that has brought us to where we are today,” said Upslope Founder, Matt Cutter. “The introduction of the Lee Hill Series allows us to showcase the best of what has emerged from this brewer’s playground.”

Volume 1 – Barrel Aged Brown Ale

As Upslope’s tribute and continued commitment to experimenting and crafting small batches of beer, the Lee Hill Series offers new and innovative styles that are sure to be cellar keepsakes. Volume 1 of the Series is a 7.6% abv Barrel Aged Brown Ale aged for four months in first use Maryland Rye Whiskey barrels from Leopold Bros.

The beer’s early caramel and toffee sweetness slowly fades and intertwines with the spicy wood character imparted by the whiskey barrels to produce a warming tone and lingering rye finish full of balanced complexity and substance.

Lee Hill Series Release Party

Be the first to try this one on tap or snag a can for your cellar at our Lee Hill Series Release Party on Thursday, July 17 (5-9 pm) at our Lee Hill tap room. Bumper Crop food truck will be serving food and live music will be performed by Blake Aaron Russell. 19.2 ounce cans will be available for $10 (limit four).